Two Halves
by Mirei E.C
Summary: A missing scene from "Split Up."


Two Halves

.

Author's Note: This is a missing scene from the episode "Split Up." I always had trouble imagining Carmen as a kidnapper. Why would she kidnap Ivy?

What follows is my interpretation of her motives. ^-^

.

By the time the great metal craft descended and came to a shuddering halt, Ivy had finally realized just how bad the situation truly was.

Bound and gagged. She had been captured at the Mahabodhi Temple, thrown into the cargo hold of an airplane, and shipped out. The detective figured that her physical safety was not immediately at risk; Carmen was not a violent criminal. The beefy henchmen that took her down had showed restraint, and subdued her with minimal force, and this was certainly by order of their boss.

Nonetheless, she felt the cold hand of fear reaching up her spine. Carmen had always been content to lock the detectives up, or otherwise detain them, when they got in her way. Ivy had never been taken to a second location. And yet here the detective was. Alone.

She banged her head once against the cargo bay wall, inwardly swearing at herself. Ivy was supposed to be the strong one. Five black belts and counting. Holder of the Acme obstacle course record time. If there was one thing she did not need her brother for, it was security. _'How the hell did I let this happen?_'

From outside, Ivy heard the unmistakable timbre of her nemesis' voice, melodic velvet, although she could not make out any words. Carmen was talking to one of her henchmen; Ivy thought she caught the term "brat" from the baritone.

Abruptly, the cargo hold's door was swinging open, and Ivy had to shut her eyes hard against the sudden light.

The click-clack of stilettos on steel, and then gloved hands at her face.

Ivy instinctively shrank away.

"Relax, detective," the thief commanded, her tone mildly chiding. "I'm taking this rag out of your mouth."

True to her word, Carmen untied the bandana that had served as a makeshift gag for the past hour or so. Ivy immediately demanded, "Where am I?"

The scarlet thief pulled over a wooden crate, and sat across from the detective, regarding her serenely. "Bangladesh."

Ivy was a bit thrown off by such a straightforward answer. "...Why? I mean, why take me along?"

"Actually, I was wondering quite the same thing." Carmen chuckled softly. "The great detective Ivy Evans, caught by my henchmen? What is the world coming to?" A nearly impish smile tugged at the corner of her lovely mouth.

Ivy noted that Carmen's body language was more relaxed than she had ever seen before. The detective knew this had more than a little to do with the fact that she was still bound, her hands tied behind her back and her feet tied at the ankles. But even more, the thief actually seemed to be enjoying the conversation. Ivy pushed that fact aside, trying to stay focused on the reality that she was still entirely at her adversary's mercy, and alone. Acme did not even know she had been abducted yet, she had no partner to rescue her now.

This inner conflict must have registered on her face, because Carmen's energy shifted subtly. "Are you hurt?" Her keen blue eyes searched Ivy's face, looking for the truth she knew the girl's words would not yield.

Ivy's eyes flashed dangerously. "Never better."

A meaningful pause.

"Detective, where is your brother?"

Ivy had the uncomfortable feeling that Carmen was pulling information directly out of her mind. She looked away.

"Answer me."

"What does it matter?"

"Because if something's happened to Zack, I need to know." Carmen's expression never changed, her voice never faltered, and yet worry filtered through her facade.

Ivy felt both annoyed, and somehow a little sorry. Annoyed that Carmen would immediately assume that something was direly wrong with Zack, if Ivy was without him. Sorry, because she found the older woman's concern for her little brother to be somehow endearing.

"He's not hurt, or anything," Ivy relented, pity winning out over anger. "We've decided to go solo."

Carmen raised a skeptical brow.

"All he does is fool around with that stupid computer!" the younger woman exploded, surprising them both.

"And you prefer good, old-fashioned detective work."

"Exactly! I mean, computers are excellent tools, everyone knows that. But they're no replacement for human skill, for... "

"No replacement for _you_?" the thief prompted gently, something akin to compassion shining in her eyes.

Ivy's breath caught in her throat. She had forgotten herself completely for a moment. Five minutes, and the master criminal had scaled her walls, grasped hold of her most vulnerable point. "Low blow, Carmen," she whispered hoarsely, suddenly aware of the ropes around her wrists and ankles again. "And I thought you were supposed to be the 'crook with class.'"

"I didn't say it to hurt you, Ivy," Carmen insisted softly, waving a hand as if to dispel the girl's harsh words. "I was only making an observation. And you're right - no computer could ever come close to you."

Ivy felt her face flush against her will at the unexpected praise. Luckily, Carmen did not see it; the thief had moved to the far corner of the cargo hold, and was apparently rummaging around for something. She returned a moment later, holding a heavy winter coat.

"You and Zack complete each other, as a team. He could never replace you, detective. Just as you could never replace him."

The thief kneeled next to the young girl, placed the coat around her, and buttoned it up with all the care in the world, as though Ivy herself were a priceless treasure from a museum.

"Carmen...what are you doing?"

She gave the detective her most mischievous smile, in full master thief-mode. She leaned in close, and whispered in her ear, "Why, proving my point, of course."


End file.
